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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "uk national lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +447011137803 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • excelcourierserviceltd06@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: Martin Brown <agent_martinb@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 00:26:34 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CONTACT EXCEL COURIER SERVICE FOR DELIVERY




National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)
Ref: UK/9420X/05
Batch: 074/05/ZY369


ATTENTION: Broekhof,

CONGRATULATIONS!T his is to inform you that you have been cleared a winner of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY online Sweepstakes International program. I am happy to inform you that your £250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling) which you won in the Uk National Online Lottery have been forwarded to the Excel Courier Service Ltd along with your Original Certificate and some other document for delivery to you lucky winners.Find below the details of the courier company.

CONTACT:EXCEL COURIER SERVICE LTD
HEAD OFFICE : EXCEL COURIER SERVICE LTD
BR30-36 NEW PORT,CARDIFF
BRCF24 ODE, UNITED KINGDOM
NAME:MR SMITH WHITE(dispatch officer)
TELL:+447011137803
EMAIL:excelcourierserviceltd06@yahoo.co.uk


You are adviced to send the courier company a mail to their email address for their courier cost.When contacting them,you are to fill this form and send it to them and include this order number as your subject.Please you are advised to write down the order number and save it.


1.ORDER NUMBER:252368
2. DRAW NUMBER.________________________
3.FULL NAMES: ________________________
4.FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:_________________________
5.SEX:____________________________
6.AGE:____________________________
7.OCCUPATION:________________________
8.ZIP CODE:__________________
9.TELEPHONE NUMBER:___________________________
10.FAX NUMBERS____________________
11.COUNTRY:________________________________

Note: you are Quote your complete names,Ref/Batch Numbers and your direct phone number so that they can honour your letter.Once again i say congratulations and always inform me with your dealings with the couriercompany.

Thanks

Mr:Martin Brown(Claims Aagent)




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam